The Strawberry Chance
by Cloudess
Summary: She had been a fleeting chance. He wondered when did it all stop making sense. And then he remembered.


**The Strawberry Chance**  
_Inspired by the song "We Mapped the World" by Joy Williams_

* * *

He marveled at the glowing shafts of sunlight filtering through the blinded window; his first sight of them since six months ago. They had him stayed in that underground room for far too long, he almost forgot that there was a sun.

But the sensation of heat searing across the back of his wrinkled hand told him otherwise and he allowed himself to softly sigh in rare bliss.

Shifting his bleary eyes away from the blinding light, he glanced about the room. Beside the bed he lay was an end table with a lamp on it while a bookshelf stood on the other side. On the wall across he could see a closet and a dresser. There were the occasional frames being hung on the walls - the majority were gifts received from whom he cannot anymore remember. The usual clutter was present as well, from displaced scrolls to unclosed drawers. It was a _very_ familiar sight.

Nothing had changed.

"Father."

He started, face immediately turning to the owner of the voice. Onyx eyes met green ones. For a moment he felt short of breath, but then recovered quickly enough.

A black-haired young woman entered the room, smiling softly to the old man she proudly called her father. Months without his presence had not been easy, but there was nothing she could do. When the Konoha Council had caught wind of her father's failing health, they acted fast. One by one, ANBU groups had been sent out for a search and recovery mission of one Uchiha Itachi.

They had not worry at first, trusting in the knowledge that their sanctuary cannot be discovered since they were located in a nearly isolated island in the Land of Water. But with every passing day, their pursuers just keep getting closer and so they were forced into hiding. Her father had gone out to stay with his ex-partner, Kisame, at an underground headquarters while she had chosen to stay and protect their home.

Mentally shaking her head, the unknown heir of the Uchiha Clan proceeded to bow before her bed-ridden father.

Silently, she padded towards the end table, all the while careful of the vase she was currently carrying. She could feel a pair of eyes following her movements until the vase was set in place. Skimming her fingers through the soft petals of lilac, she took one last look of the latest decoration before grinning triumphantly.

"Mother's favorite, right?" she chirped, lush, verdant eyes sparkling with affection.

Itachi nodded, his own weary orbs hinting an undecipherable emotion as he too, looked at the fresh flowers.

Deciding that it was getting late to still be in bed, Itachi forced himself up and promptly laid back when his frail bones refused to cooperate. He grunted, hands searching for something to hold on to as he tried to sit up again. It was times like this that he was reminded of his growing vulnerability and it never failed to give him a sense of trepidation.

He was sick and old and his children were still so young...

He felt an arm snaking around his abdomen as, slowly, he was pulled up into the desired position. It was such a trivial action and yet he could already feel a thin sheet of cold sweat on his forehead. Arm still around him, his daughter hastily arranged the pillows behind him before finally letting go.

Now with his body reclined, oxygen intake was much more comfortable. Looking up to see the amused face of his daughter, he expressed his appreciation to her in the form of a small, genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mikoto."

"Not a problem, Father. You know I'm always here," Mikoto chuckled, a hand swiping strands of hair away from Itachi's less pristine face. She caught a glimmer of resolution in his famously deadly eyes but then it was quick to fade.

He patted an empty space on the mattress, signaling his only daughter to come closer. She followed quickly and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She gave her Father her full attention, establishing her station as a subordinate to a more important person._ He_ was her most important person now and she was determine to protect him from those people who knew him for the man he was not supposed to be. A monster he was to the rest of the world, but a hero he was to her. And to the boys. And to mother.

Mikoto felt her hand being clasped by a much bigger one, his grip firm and tender at the same time. She watched as her father slowly opened the palm of her hand. Confused, she was about to ask what the matter was when her father's other hand suddenly went to the back of his neck. She patiently waited, curiosity surfacing on her facial expression.

Clasp unlocked, Itachi took off his necklace from his person. He regarded the particular heirloom with something akin to nostalgia before finally focusing his attention back to his lovely daughter. Steely eyes softened imperceptibly as he saw the emotions flickering in Mikoto's emerald eyes. Awe. Disbelief. Confusion. Happiness.

"My mother gave this to me when I became a genin," Itachi explained, voice hoarse but steady, "To remind me of her love."

Slowly, he stretched his arm until the dangling necklace lightly touched the center of Mikoto's palm. Staring into glossy eyes of _their_ daughter, he promptly dropped the heirloom into her hand and then he curled her fingers, forming a fist and effectively covering the necklace from their view.

"This is to remind you of how proud I am to have you as my daughter-"

Mikoto felt hot tears cascading down her cheeks as she listened to the words she was so used to hearing and yet somehow, had failed to fully comprehend the meaning behind it.

"-and to remind you of your mother's love."

But now she already knew.

Bringing her fist to her mouth, Uchiha Mikoto solemnly vowed to become stronger, to protect the people she loved. Just like what her mother did.

Lifting her head to look at her father, she held his eyes with her own, full of conviction and unadulterated compassion. She inhaled deeply and opened her mouth to speak.

"I will not let you down, Father."

Tears still freely flowing, she then wrapped her arms around Itachi, relishing on the moment. She felt him returning the embrace so easily it was almost painful. She tightened her hold on him, afraid that he would somehow disappear and she would be all alone in this cruel world. Her shoulders shook as she continued to cry, draining all her anxieties and doubts away. To be this close to Father once again, she felt truly safe. And as she clung to her father like never before, she could almost smell the cherry blossoms and feel the all-too-familiar presence of a hand gently wiping her tears aways whenever she would injure herself.

Many years ago, he had took pride in himself for his inability to be affected by human emotions. They were considered a weakness. A shame. But when his daughter - his daughter that reminded him so much of _her _- seized him, seeking comfort from him, he could not control himself.

Itachi had not let a single tear fall when Sakura died. Foolishly trying to not succumb to the weakness. He had made sure to let Mikoto and the twins see him, dignified and unwavering, to let them be reminded of the code he had taught them. They did not let him disappoint. But he had disappointed himself. To forget the face of the woman who had changed his life in more ways than he had expected came as a futile attempt and he had since lived his life in regret and misery knowing that she would never come back.

His black heart became the bloody red when he met her and when he had asked her to marry him, he knew right then and there that she was irreplaceable. She, a woman with the fist of an iron and with the touch of an angel, had given him her everything when they first made love. She had been such lover. Such a wife. Such a friend.

She had been a fleeting chance.

And he had unknowingly grabbed that chance to the very core of his soul.

He never did regret his decision. Never with Sakura.

He held his daughter closer, looked at her favorite flower, and let go.

* * *

_fin_

* * *

**A/N.** It's funny 'cause this is my first ItaSaku fic ever and yet I already let Sakura die. Thank you so much for reading my fanfic (and for reading this author-note bwaha!) and yeah, God bless you!


End file.
